


Carol of the Bells

by ClarionGlass



Series: Good Orchestra [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Orchestra, Chatting & Messaging, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Texting, featuring real places i saw in london!, just a and c being soft at christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 12:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21816601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClarionGlass/pseuds/ClarionGlass
Summary: A bit of fluff featuring our boys at Christmas, told mostly as excerpts from a chat conversation, with a short prose epilogue. Aziraphale finally gets Messenger, Love Actually is opined upon, chat nicknames are changed, Aziraphale's baking adventures end badly, and a Christmas lights-viewing expedition ends very well indeed.Set in the same universe as An Optimistic Tragedy (in which Aziraphale and Crowley are members of a youth orchestra), but can be read as a stand-alone. No spoilers for AOT!
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Good Orchestra [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571998
Kudos: 15





	Carol of the Bells

_ [Friday December 13, 1:31am] _

_ Anthony Crowley  _ to  _ Angelface: _ u up? ;)

_ AZ Fell _ to  _ Snake Eyes:  _ It’s only 1:30, dear, of course I am

_ Anthony Crowley: _ pissing hell

_ Anthony Crowley: _ forgot how truly fucked your sleep schedule gets when you don't have concerts to be alert for

_ Anthony Crowley: _ anyway

_ Anthony Crowley: _ can't sleep, wyd

_ AZ Fell: _ Watching Love, Actually

_ Anthony Crowley: _ firstly 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ nobody ever uses the comma 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ that's some uncanny valley level bullshit, take that comma right out 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ in fact I’m pretty sure there isn’t even a comma in the title, you're just winding me up

_ AZ Fell: _ …

_ Anthony Crowley: _ arse 😛

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ secondly

_ Anthony Crowley: _ you're such a sap

_ Anthony Crowley: _ my boyf is such a sap

_ AZ Fell: _ I'm only watching it because someone, who will remain nameless for the sake of their dignity, said it was "the best Christmas movie of all time, apart from the bit with the sleazy dick with the cards"

_ Anthony Crowley: _ "best xmas movie other than elf" I think were the words used

_ AZ Fell:  _ Forgive me

_ AZ Fell: _ "The best Christmas movie of all time, other than Elf, apart from the bit with the sleazy dick with the cards"

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ thank u

_ Anthony Crowley: _ am I wrong tho 

_ AZ Fell:  _ ...you're not

_ AZ Fell: _ I do have a soft spot for the classics, I'll always love It's a Wonderful Life, but I really am enjoying this one

_ AZ Fell: _ My favourite storyline is the one with the Prime Minister and Natalie, closely followed by Colin Firth's

_ AZ Fell: _ Emma Thompson deserves better

_ Anthony Crowley: _ yeah Snape was a bag of dicks to her 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ my fave is the one with the kids I think

_ Anthony Crowley: _ and Liam Neeson

_ Anthony Crowley: _ whatsit the rocker is my fave character tho 

_ AZ Fell: _ Bill Nighy?

_ Anthony Crowley: _ guess so

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ he's full of bullshit but he's also just

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ honest? 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ i see me being like him in 30 years, some gnarly old muso who’s so tired of it all, but still fighting the fight

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ only classical not rock

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I do like the pm one too

_ Anthony Crowley: _ rather have Hugh Grant as pm than Bozza the twat 

_ AZ Fell:  _ Amen to that

_ Anthony Crowley: _ and on that note, it's probably time for me to attempt the old snoozarino again

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ thanks for being here, angel

_ Anthony Crowley: _ so glad I convinced you to get messenger

_ AZ Fell:  _ Me too, my dear

_ AZ Fell: _ Goodnight

_ AZ Fell: _ Sleep well xx

_ Anthony Crowley: _ night xx

*

_ [Sunday December 15, 7:19am] _

_ Anthony Crowley  _ to  _ Angelface: _ can't believe it's dec 15 and I haven't done this yet

_ AZ Fell  _ to  _ Snake Eyes:  _ It’s 7:20am on December 15th, I refuse to acknowledge two 7 o’clocks in one day

_ AZ Fell:  _ Well, I’m up now

_ AZ Fell: _ What have you done

_ Anthony Crowley: _ 😎

_ Anthony Crowley changed AZ Fell's nickname _

_ Anthony Crowley changed his own nickname _

_ Anthony Crowley _ to  _ the angel on top of the tree: _ it's festive! 

_ AZ Fell _ to  _ snaubles (snake baubles): _ Mine, I don't mind

_ AZ Fell: _ But was yours really the best you could come up with? 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ probs not

_ Anthony Crowley: _ but I love snaubles 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ as a word

_ Anthony Crowley: _ and as a meme

_ AZ Fell:  _ You know, it's almost fitting, considering when I first met you

_ Anthony Crowley: _ ?

_ AZ Fell:  _ The baubles on a Christmas tree represent the forbidden fruit on the tree of Eden

_ Anthony Crowley: _ seriously?

_ AZ Fell:  _ Seriously. 

_ AZ Fell:  _ [ _ https://blog.inkyfool.com/2019/11/the-origin-of-christmas-tree.html?m=1 _ ](https://blog.inkyfool.com/2019/11/the-origin-of-christmas-tree.html?m=1) _ _

_ Anthony Crowley: _ huh

_ Anthony Crowley: _ the more u know 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ *star gif*

_ Anthony Crowley: _ how do you find these things, angel? 

_ AZ Fell:  _ It's an etymology blog, I have all the author's books

_ AZ Fell: _ He's a very good writer, very engaging

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I’ll take your word for it

_ AZ Fell: _ Ah, of course

_ AZ Fell: _ I’ll see if I can get one of them as an audiobook, there’s a chapter on swearing I’m sure you’ll like

_ Anthony Crowley: _ thanks, angel ☺

_ Anthony Crowley: _ aight I gotta go

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I’m only up bc I have a gig at 10

_ Anthony Crowley: _ soundcheck at 9

_ Anthony Crowley: _ the xmas fun begins, huzzah

_ AZ Fell: _ I know what you mean, I’ve got four this week

_ AZ Fell: _ Well, I’d better let you go get ready

_ Anthony Crowley: _ thx

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I’ll ttyl, angel ☺

_ AZ Fell: _ Yes, I’ll talk to you later!

_ AZ Fell: _ Let me know how it goes

_ Anthony Crowley: _ will do!

*

_ [Wednesday December 18, 5:07pm] _

_ Anthony Crowley _ to  _ the angel on top of the tree: _ hey have you been to regent st since they’ve put the lights up?

_ AZ Fell _ to  _ SNAUBLES (SNAKE BAUBLES) every time you change it angel i’m gonna change it back: _ No

_ Anthony Crowley: _ ?????

_ Anthony Crowley: _ you live in soho??????

_ Anthony Crowley: _ how can you have avoided regent st for an entire month????

_ AZ Fell: _ I don’t typically go that way, and when I get the Tube, I take Leicester Square, rather than either of the Circuses

_ Anthony Crowley: _ only you

_ Anthony Crowley: _ also, you’re the biggest xmas nerd i know

_ Anthony Crowley: _ you’ve sent me no less than twenty (20) photos of your tree from different angles

_ Anthony Crowley: _ how is it you haven’t done a tour of all the xmas lights of london?

_ AZ Fell: _ I’ve been busy

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ doing what? 

_ AZ Fell: _ Knitting, if you must know

_ AZ Fell:  _ And baking 

_ AZ Fell: _ Mostly shortbread

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ angel

_ Anthony Crowley: _ my dear, sweet angel

_ Anthony Crowley: _ you know I love you more than anything in this cruel, cruel world

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ but you cannot bake for shit

_ AZ Fell: _ That's why I've been so busy, dear

_ AZ Fell:  _ I've managed to get it down to "tastes lovely, slightly over-dark round the edges," which I think is as good as we're going to get

_ Anthony Crowley: _ you could just

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ take them out of the oven sooner

_ AZ Fell: _ You'd think so, wouldn't you? 

_ AZ Fell:  _ I'm convinced my oven is possessed 

_ AZ Fell: _ No matter how closely I watch them, they go from raw to overdone in the blink of an eye

_ Anthony Crowley: _ ...uh-huh

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ anyway

_ Anthony Crowley: _ what had you risking the wrath of the oven demon in the first place?

_ Anthony Crowley: _ your folks doing the charity food drive again? 

_ AZ Fell: _ Yes

_ AZ Fell: _ I've bought the usual tins, they're non-perishable, but I thought I should do a little something extra

_ AZ Fell: _ For Christmas, you know

_ AZ Fell: _ I know it's not much

_ AZ Fell: _ But if I can brighten someone's day even a little, that's all I want

_ Anthony Crowley: _ fuck

_ Anthony Crowley: _ why is someone as good as you going out with someone like me? 

_ AZ Fell:  _ Because you're good too, dear, even if you can't always see it in yourself

_ AZ Fell: _ Oh, speaking of which, we got the tins you sent, thank you!

_ Anthony Crowley: _ just doing my bit

_ Anthony Crowley: _ are you knitting some kind of donation thing as well? 

_ AZ Fell:  _ Yes, I'm making scarves! 

_ AZ Fell sent a picture _

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ they look great!

_ AZ Fell: _ Thank you! They're really easy, I can send you the pattern if you'd like 

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ no ta

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ sure, I watch sappy romantic movies, and sure, you convinced me that ginger tea is better than coffee 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ but knitting is where I draw the line

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ I'm not a nanna yet

_ AZ Fell: _ Just give it time, dear

_ Anthony Crowley:  _ booooo

_ Anthony Crowley: _ anyway

_ Anthony Crowley: _ do you trust me, angel?

_ AZ Fell: _ No, not at all

_ AZ Fell:  _ You’re a fiend from hell, my dear

_ Anthony Crowley: _ worse than the demon in your oven?

_ AZ Fell: _ Much

_ Anthony Crowley: _ i expect nothing less

_ AZ Fell: _ Well, you can’t leave me in suspense

_ AZ Fell: _ What do you want me to do?

_ Anthony Crowley: _ put down whatever you’re doing

_ Anthony Crowley: _ and get to regent st in 20

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I'm gonna take you on a whirlwind tour of all the best christmas lights

_ AZ Fell: _ That sounds wonderful!

_ AZ Fell: _ ...I don’t want to sound like a naysayer, dear

_ AZ Fell: _ But I can see one tiny little flaw in the plan

_ Anthony Crowley: _ that I’m not there to know where you need to go?

_ Anthony Crowley: _ google maps, babey

_ AZ Fell: _ I wish you were here to see it with me

_ AZ Fell: _ But I’ll put myself in your capable hands regardless

_ Anthony Crowley: _ maybe next time, angel

_ AZ Fell: _ I’m going to take you up on that

_ Anthony Crowley: _ you better

_ Anthony Crowley: _ anyway

_ Anthony Crowley: _ regent st in 20, yeah?

_ AZ Fell: _ Oh, alright, then

_ AZ Fell: _ I’ll be there

\---

_ [5:32pm] _

_ AZ Fell: _ Oh, Crowley!

_ AZ Fell: _ It’s beautiful!

_ AZ Fell: _ I can see why you wanted me to come here

_ Anthony Crowley: _ angels for my angel ☺

_ Anthony Crowley: _ alright

_ Anthony Crowley: _ when you’re done there, are you ready to go on the xmas lights experience of a lifetime?

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I'll give the directions to you step at a time, not like those shit ones from Shadwell 

_ AZ Fell: _ Thank you 

_ AZ Fell: _ Well then, I’m ready

_ AZ Fell: _ Lead on, dearest!

*

_ (27 minutes and many directions later _ …)

_ * _

_ [6:00pm] _

_ Anthony Crowley: _ and finally, turn right

_ Anthony Crowley: _ ta daaa

_ Anthony Crowley: _ your quest has ended

\---

_ [6:03pm] _

_ Anthony Crowley: _ do you like it?

_ \--- _

_ [6:05pm] _

_ Anthony Crowley: _ say something, please

_ Anthony Crowley: _ shit your phone’s probably out of charge or something

_ AZ Fell: _ No, no, I’m still here

_ AZ Fell: _ I’m sorry, dear

_ AZ Fell: _ I was just

_ AZ Fell: _ I think “spellbound” is the best word for it

_ AZ Fell: _ The carollers, the bookshops, the food, the atmosphere

_ AZ Fell: _ Everyone’s just so happy to be here

_ AZ Fell: _ It’s magical

_ Anthony Crowley: _ ☺

_ Anthony Crowley: _ knew you’d like it

_ AZ Fell: _ I adore it!

_ AZ Fell: _ But I've been to Cecil Court so many times before, and I had no idea they even did something like it

_ AZ Fell: _ How did you know this was happening? 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ friends in high places

_ Anthony Crowley: _ jk

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I saw an ad when I was looking stuff up

_ Anthony Crowley: _ thought it'd be something you were into

_ Anthony Crowley: _ they have their xmas do on the same day every year, you just mustn't have come on the 18th

_ Anthony Crowley: _ and I guess they don't advertise much

_ AZ Fell: _ I guess not

_ AZ Fell: _ This is truly amazing, my dear, thank you so much 

_ AZ Fell: _ I love it

_ AZ Fell:  _ And I love you x

_ Anthony Crowley: _ love you too x

_ Anthony Crowley: _ but before you make any more big declarations, angel, there's one last thing 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ past the carollers, there's a dude wearing like a million layers standing in the doorway of the kids bookshop

_ Anthony Crowley: _ the one with the Dalek in the window

_ AZ Fell:  _ Yes, I see him? 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ he's just standing there texting

_ Anthony Crowley: _ and bc he's on his phone he's not wearing gloves 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ like an idiot

_ Anthony Crowley: _ his hands are probably real cold

_ Anthony Crowley: _ you should probably go warm them up

_ Anthony Crowley: _ ...he'd probably like a kiss from his boyfriend too

_ AZ Fell: _ Wait

_ AZ Fell: _ You couldn’t see this on Google Maps

_ Anthony Crowley: _ 😉

_ AZ Fell: _ Crowley?

_ AZ Fell:  _ You

_ AZ Fell:  _ You came all the way here? 

_ AZ Fell: _ For me? 

_ Anthony Crowley: _ surprise!

_ Anthony Crowley: _ merry xmas, angel ❤

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I wasn't joking about the hands tho

_ Anthony Crowley: _ I'm fucking freezing

*

Aziraphale put his phone in his coat pocket and practically ran to Crowley, enfolding him in a tight hug. He broke away after a few moments, pulling back to regard Crowley at arm's length, drinking in every detail of his face.

"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, delight and disbelief mingled in his voice. 

Crowley pouted, mock-offended. "Well, hello to you too, angel," he sniffed. "Thought you'd be pleased to see me."

Any possible grain of doubt that Aziraphale wasn’t pleased to see him vanished in the face of the brilliant, million-watt smile that lit the blonde’s face from ear to ear.

“I thought you were in Manchester!” Aziraphale said.

“Nah, the parents are away, so I came down special,” Crowley replied. “They were planning a Christmas getaway to Scotland, and they were cool to let me come here instead.”

“I’m so glad!” Aziraphale said, and hugged him tightly once again. “Where are you staying?”

Crowley smiled slyly. “Well, you were the only one who didn’t know I was coming,” he said. “I may have run it past your parents, and they may have agreed to put me up for the next week and a half.”

Aziraphale’s beam threatened to split his face in two. “That’s wonderful!”

“I reckon,” Crowley smiled back. “We’ve been mates for four years, and together for two, and we’ve never spent a Christmas together. Thought it was about time for that to change.”

Aziraphale reached over and took both of Crowley’s bare hands in his. “Perfect idea, my love,” he said, and leaned in to kiss him sweetly. 

Crowley eagerly reciprocated, and it was a few moments before they broke apart. Still unwilling to let go of his boyfriend’s hands, Aziraphale pressed himself up against Crowley’s side and leant his head on his shoulder to watch the carollers, bathed in the warm light that spilled out from Bryars & Bryars. 

“Oh!” he exclaimed, recognising the first few notes of the carol the group had just started. “This is my favourite!”

“Mine too,” Crowley agreed. “Have you heard the Trans-”

“-Siberian Orchestra version?” Aziraphale finished. “I have, you sent it to me last Christmas.” 

He looked up at Crowley and smiled. “That’s why the Carol of the Bells is my favourite.”

Crowley smiled back, squeezing Aziraphale’s hands warmly. 

Around their little bubble of perfect contentment, the freezing air swirled, carrying the sounds of the choir, the laughter of the people up the street, and the scents of the food laid out. It was a golden moment, frozen and sublime and timeless, and one they both knew they’d remember for as long as they lived.

“Merry Christmas, angel.”

“Merry Christmas, Crowley.”

**Author's Note:**

> I sent screenshots of this to a friend while I was writing, and was told that "some of these sound like conversations we've had," which I'm going to take as a ringing endorsement :P  
As you may have guessed from AOT, I'm a sucker for a text fic, so here we are! This was largely inspired by the week I spent in London recently, where I did see the Regent Street Christmas lights (as well as the Carnaby Street and Seven Dials ones, which we can assume Crowley directed Aziraphale to during the 27 minutes of directions I was too lazy to write). The end location is also a very real place--Cecil Court is a tiny little street near Leicester Square tube station, lined end to end with old bookshops. I went there one evening on a whim, and to my surprise found exactly what Aziraphale did--all the bookshop owners pitching in for their annual Christmas do, with free food and wine, and a volunteer group of carollers. It was a beautiful evening, despite the cold, and I couldn't stop imagining these boys in the same situation.  
The baubles thing is entirely real, too, and the link is a good read :)  
Aziraphale's opinions on Love Actually are entirely mine, but I like to think I have more baking skills than he does.


End file.
